Information Bulletin

Shetland Library Favourite Rhyme of All Time

Bookstart in Shetland has launched the competition in preparation for its Bookstart in Scotland Day celebrations, with the results to be announced on 15 May 2008.

Parents and children alike are invited to pick up an entry form at their local library, and decide on their favourite rhyme of all time.

If anyone would like to be reminded of some of the many rhymes available to choose from before making their decision, they can pop along to a free Bookstart rhymetime at the Old Library Centre where parents come together with their babies and toddlers to sing rhymes and songs in an informal and fun setting.

Morag Nicolson, Bookstart coordinator for Shetland, is keen to encourage as many families as possible to take part.

“Everyone has at least one rhyme stored in their memory, usually learnt in childhood and never forgotten. We want to find out which rhyme Shetland residents love the most - it doesn’t have to be a popular or well-known rhyme, just the one that they most enjoy.

Our Bookstart Rhymetime sessions are intended to bring rhymes, books and music into Shetland parents' or carers' everyday routines by equipping them with the confidence and tools to sing with their children. Music is the perfect vehicle for learning, and the sessions, if attended regularly, have the potential to greatly increase Shetland children’s literacy development and enjoyment of music.”

Shetland’s results will also be added to other local authorities results from across Scotland, to find out what the overall top ten rhymes are in the country, also to be announced on Bookstart in Scotland Day. Ten randomly selected entries from across Scotland will also win a Bookstart Rhymetimes CD and Book and five randomly selected entries will win a Bookstart Bear.

The theme for this year’s Bookstart in Scotland Day is Music, to highlight the Bookstart Rhymetimes pilot project currently running in several local authorities throughout Scotland. The initiative has been developed as an extension of the existing Bookstart Rhymetimes programme, and is intended to roll ryhmetimes out on a national scale by providing in-depth training and Bookstart Rhymetime toolkits to local authorities throughout Scotland. The overall aim of the initiative is to install music and books at the heart of the parent and child relationships at home, while raising awareness of the links between singing and rhymes and literacy development.

Bookstart is a national scheme offering free books to children and advice to their parents. The scheme was established to encourage parents to share books with children from a very early age. Bookstart begins with the first Bookstart pack which parents receive at their baby’s early health assessments between 8 and 16 weeks. Children really benefit from Bookstart and gain a head start with their language skills. If you believe you have missed out on your baby Bookstart pack, ask your health visitor or the library for details, or visit www.bookstart.org.uk